Flat wire terminal connector



A118. 1967 E. F. GODWIN ETAL 3,337,834

FLAT WIRE TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed April 6, 1965' FIG. I

INVENTORS, GERARD J. REILLY ELME EGODWIN BYM/m 4. M I

United States Patent 3,337,834 FLAT WIRE TERMINAL CONNECTOR Elmer F. Godwin, Fairhaven, and Gerard J. Reilly, Port Monmouth, N..I., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Apr. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 446,129 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-14) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention herein relates to a terminal connector for fiat conductor cable and particularly for a novel means for grounding the metallic shields that are often affixed to such flat conductor. Such grounding means comprises a pair of grounding bars, wherein each of said bars is made of a strip of electrically conductive material and provided with a knurled roughened surface on at least one face thereof. The metallic shield of the conductor is confined between the knurled faces of the grounding bars which are secured to the connector body.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a device for connection of wires enclosed in a dielectric sheath or tape, such as are known in the industry as fiat conductor cables which comprise conductive strips or ribbons encapsulated in a dielectric material or other suitable insulation.

In many instances it is necessary to provide such fiat conductor cables with appropriate shields to prevent any interference from outside RF signals, that may affect the normal use or operation of such cables. To accomplish such end, such cables are provided with extremely thin facings of aluminum, or like material serving asa shield on both surface faces of the flat conductor cables through the length of said cable. Such aluminum shields are affixed to the dielectric insulating sheath of the flat cable with a plastic adhesive such as Mylar.

Attempts have been made in the past to provide means for grounding such metallic shields. However, it has been found that the grounding means so provided were difficult to incorporate into conventional connectors adapted to accommodate fiat wire cable.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a connector for shielded flat conductor cables which includes an inexpensive, readily affixed grounding means for the shielding elements.

The invention can be best understood from the following description taken a view of the accompanying sheet of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one of the pair of grounding bars;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of flat wire connector embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 2, taken on the line 33 thereof, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a connector, including the grounding means, and showing the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a connector comprising respective male and female portions 13 and 15 respectively. The flat cable conductor introduced into the connector is shown at 17 and comprises a plurality of condutcors 19 sandwiched between dielectric coatings 21 which in turn are faced on both surfaces with metallic shields 23, 25, such as aluminum of minute thickness. The shields 23, 25, are aflixed to the dielectric sheath with the use of an adhesive, which firmly secures the shield to the dielectric.

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FIG. 3 shows the manner in which the fiat cable 17 is positioned within the connector 11 to make contact with a remote circuit. It can be seen that the shields 23, 25, have been peeled back and the dielectric sheath 21 with its conductors 19 is positioned through a slot in portion 13 through another mating slot in the portion 15 so as to engage a contact 27 which may be the terminus of another circuit. Obviously a portion of the dielectric 21 is removed at the point of engagement with the contact 27 to permit the conductors 19 to engage the contact 27.

In the embodiment of the invention in FIGS. 2. and 3 there is shown a means for the grounding of one of the shields, that is shield 23. For this purpose there are provided two substantialy identical grounding bars 29, 31, the latter being shown in detail in FIG. 1. The only difference between the bars 29 and 31 is that bar 29 is of fiat configuration while the bar 31 is slightly bowed as shown in FIG. 1. Each of the grounding bars comprises a strip of electrically conductive material that terminate in eyelets at each end and further provided with an asperity surface 32 on one face thereof to provide a roughness of surface and sufiiciently sharp to penetrate only the plastic adhesive of the shield. FIG. 3 shows the assembly of the shield grounding means for the shield 23-. A portion of the shield 23 is first peeled or folded back from the dielectric sheath 21. The grounding bar 29 is positioned on the flat upper surface of the male portion 13 of the connector with the rough surface exposed. The sheild 23 is then placed over the bar and the second grounding bar, with the rough surface in engagement with the shield, is pressed into abutment with the shield. The assembly is completed and made secure by threaded bolts 33 which threadably engage threaded openings in connector portions 13, 15.

FIG. 4 shows a more widely used application of the invention utilizing the same structure herein before described to ground both shields 23, 25. This is accomplished in the following manner. Both shields 23, 25 are peeled back, and each is folded over itself to present the adhesive surface of the sheild into engagement with the roughened surface of the respective lower and upper grounding bars 29, 31.

In each of the modifications of the invention herein, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is obvious that the roughened or knurl-like surface 32 of the bar 31 has a penetrating depth that when the screws 33 are fully and completely threaded in the connector, the surface 32 will penetrate only through the adhesive coating of the shield and to the shield and not into engagement or contact with the conductors 19.

It is to be understood that the invention herein described may have applications other than the specific examples shown. In the examples shown the shields are of the type that are applied to insulation sheath by means of an adhesive that lies between the shield and the insulation. It is apparent that the shield grounding means described can be used in that type of shielded fiat wire conductor where the shield is in direct abutment with the insulation wherein the shield is provided with a cover jacket.

What is claimed is:

1. Ina connector for flat conductor cables wherein said connector includes respective male and female elements and said cable is provided with fiat metal strip shields on both surfaces of said cable, the improvement comprising grounding means for said shields which include a pair of electrically conductive bars, each of said bars having a knurled roughened facing on at least one surface, at least one of said shields confined between said bars in contact with said facings and means securing said ground means to one of the elements of said connector.

2. In combination, a connector for flat conductor cables wherein said connector includes respective male and 3 4 female elements, both of said elements provided with References Cited mated threaded openings and wherein said cable is pro- UNITED STATES PATENTS vided with fiat metal strip shields on both surfaces of said cable, and grounding means for the shields of said cable 19601938 5/1934 Forbes comprising a pair of electrically conductive bars, within 5 gff g g g h I he l I t w lCh peeled back portions of the s ields are confined 3,083,349 3/1963 B1011 der X and further provided with eyelets at the ends of said bars and wherein said bars with shield portions confined therein 1 Johnson are in intimate contact with one of the elements of said 196 Paulsen' connector by means of threaded bolts extending through 10 l said eyelets and the mating threaded openings in said con- MARVIN CHAMPION Prlma'y Examine nector elements. P. TEITEIJBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CONNECTOR FOR FLAT CONDUCTOR CABLES WHEREIN SAID CONNECTOR INCLUDES RESPECTIVE MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTS AND SAID CABLE IS PROVIDED WITH FLAT METAL STRIP SHIELDS ON BOTH SURFACES OF SAID CABLE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING GROUNDING MEANS FOR SAID SHIELDS WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE BARS, EACH OF SAID BARS HAVING A KNURLED ROUGHENED FACING ON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SHIELDS CONFINED BETWEEN SAID BARS IN CONTACT WITH SAID FACINGS AND MEANS SECURING SAID GROUND MEANS TO ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF SAID CONNECTOR. 